WARNING: Betelgeuse is Shrinking. Supernova or Supernothing?
June 10, 2009
If there's one thing I've realized when writing articles about space, is that it is very easy to link a mysterious astronomical phenomena with doom. If not doom for Earth, certainly doom resulting in a huge explosion of some kind, destroying something, somewhere...
Mystery = Doom
Let's look at a very simple example: In 1983, NASA's Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) carried out the first ever space-based survey of the entire sky at infrared wavelengths.
IRAS spotted some mystery infrared objects (make a note of the word "mystery"). This would be expected, I suppose, as this was the first survey of its kind.
The Washington Post picked up on NASA's initial findings and published an article entitled "Mystery Heavenly Body Discovered," in which the author lays out some possibilities for these infrared objects. Initial reports postulated that one of these objects could be a long-period comet, or a planet, or a far-off young galaxy or a protostar.
Innocent enough, you may think. However, this one news article planted the seed of an entire Planet X doomsday scenario that has given root to countless YouTube videos, doomsday books and now, a Sony Pictures movie, to be released in November.
It's of little concern to doomsday "believers" that these mystery infrared objects were identified as ultra-luminous young galaxies far, far away, and not a nearby Earth-killing "Planet X". Doomsday theories stick, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary.
Shrinking Stars and Supernovae
So, today I read about the incredible observation by astronomers that the famous red supergiant star Betelgeuse is shrinking. According to University of California, Berkeley astrophysicists, over the last 15 years, Betelgeuse has shriveled by 15% in diameter.
This is a startling observation in my opinion. Although the star has undergone no variation in luminosity, to be able to distinguish a 15% reduction in size of a star some 600 light years away is astonishing. The supergiant isn't even an "easy" star to observe; as it's so old, it's undergoing some violent changes, blasting hot gas into space, shrouding its surface from view. Only by using the extremely sensitive Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI) on the top of Mt. Wilson in Southern California, researchers were able to see through the haze and measure the star diameter with such precision.
On reading through the Berkeley press release, there is no mention that this shrinkage could indicate Betelgeuse is about to explode. Granted, the 15 year shrinkage is a "mystery" (there's that word again), but the star has been known to vary in size in the past. In fact, it is known to pulsate in size with periods of one and six years. Also, the rotational period of Betelgeuse is once every 18 years; simulations suggest the star is not spherical, so the shrinkage could be an illusion, we are seeing a potato-shaped disk on its thinnest edge.
Despite all these factors, Fox News runs with the title "Nearby Star May Be Getting Ready to Explode." Using the Berkeley press release as a source, and quoting all the facts mentioned above, they've put two and two together, made five and declared stellar Armageddon.
Oh dear.
They've also made their own prediction right at the end:
It's possible we're observing the beginning of Betelgeuse's final collapse now.
If so, the star, which is 600 light-years away, will already have exploded — and we'll soon be in for a spectacular, and perfectly safe, interstellar fireworks show.
Yes, it's totally possible Betelgeuse could explode, but the chances of this happening in this 600 year window is highly unlikely, regardless how fast it seems to be shrinking.
Needless to say, the Fox article has done the best on the social bookmarking sites, hitting the front page of Digg. Everyone loves a supernova. As for the "shrinking star" reports, not so much.
This may not have the makings of the next, great doomsday movie plot, but it is an example how definite conclusions (i.e. a supernova) can be made from a fairly benign, yet interesting astronomical "mystery".
Sources: AFP, FOX, UCB, Universe Today
Comments
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i remember being 3 years old (yes this is a real memory ) one morning having newly learned how to walk, i followed my dad out the front door as he went to commute to work in the morning. i stepped out of the door, and realized the world wasn't just my living room, or even my house. It was a huge world out there.
I was momentarily taken aback, by this and didn't venture forth for another week.
With our new views of the universe, we suddenly realize its a very vast place with very vast dangers, and opportunities. welcome to being 3 years old. lol
Posted by: charles kafka | August 04, 2009 at 09:28 AM
They Know NIBIRU is coming sinds 1980, so thats why they Have Build all those Under ground BASIS, and contracts with the Draconions, and Reptilian Race. NIBIRU is our escape from Prison it will destroy their NET, which spands from MARS up to the EARTH.
Our Space Brother, are coming with NIBIRU, to get them all OUT, FLUSH them ,and bring them too JUSTICE, By Prime Creator.
Namaste
Posted by: Ronald Wederfoort | June 21, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Dear Sirs, I have some Issues, and which I really want an answer, 1. Nibiru Planet X, why is hidden from the Public, which is behind the SUN already? 2. Why are we not told about the Draconions, reptilian, Greys, threaty? And why do we have them here on Earth? 3. Why are we not Told of what is Going under Ground with those Basis, and USa Ufo, Alien UFO's Example: DULCE base, and much more. We want some answers? Thank you very Much? GOD Bless The WORLD.
Why as the Public never Told?
Posted by: Ronald Wederfoort | June 21, 2009 at 05:47 PM
"Betelgeuse, which is thought to be reaching the end of its lifespan, may be experiencing one of those collapses as it switches from one element to another as nuclear-fusion fuel."
An unusual phenomenon: presentation of an alternate explanation to presented data by FOX.
FOX isn't about presenting relevant information and world events, it's entertainment crafted to elicit an emotional response from their large demographic of suckers. You might as well argue the informational value of Jim Jones' pulpit meanderings.
Pointless.
Posted by: paranorm | June 13, 2009 at 08:06 PM
Yeah, it's called a HEADLINE. Newspapers like the New York Times have been doing it for over a hundred years. So what.
The sad thing is, most people living in major cities today probably have not seen any but the very brightest stars because the light pollution is so bad.
An article like that might get some people interested in astronomy, only to find out they can't see anything because of the horrendus light pollution. Perhaps more people would become interested in preserving and/or restoring our dark skies. For a backyard astronomer like myself, I see some value in that.
Unlike your little blog entry which drew all the leftist darling Fox haters like bugs to a bug zapper...
Posted by: HoozUrDaddy | June 13, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Of course it is shrinking, it is OLD. It is probably dribbling too!
Posted by: Steve | June 12, 2009 at 11:55 PM
Leave it to Fox (Faux, we like that one better) to give more "guese" to the doomsday theorists. I suppose 12/22/2012 is gonna stick now, especially now that every hack in cyberspace has jumped onto the Mayan predictions of cataclysm. Hooray for paranoia! (The stockholders will be very pleased) To you on the Thai beach: Eternal Jealousy!
Posted by: C Rose | June 12, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Politics aside, Faux News is a far more appropriate term for what they produce. All channels have problems with it, but Faux is remarkably bad.
Posted by: Eric P. Metze | June 12, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Fox News, what would you expect? They even said that The US is fascist.
Talk about bad reporting.
Posted by: Calvin | June 12, 2009 at 05:40 AM
@malindeman :It can be a donut shaped (for example if have some sort of ring or if is a ring). Also the Earth is not completely rounded and wtih a massive rotation the Earth can looks "potatoes-shaped" in no time.
@Mang :mentioning 3x times "Betelgeuse", do you want to summon it?.
I am a bit curious about the fact that: 15% shriveled and still keep the same brightness. The potatoes-shaped hypothesis sound more plausible.
Posted by: magallanes | June 11, 2009 at 06:09 PM
It's sad that people only think of Fox News when we see bad reporting, take a look at CBS or ABC or NBC...they all have SERIOUS problems with reporting. Remember the Dan Rather story about Bush going MIA? Yeah...I didn't think so, stop bashing a channel just because they don't subscribe to the same political slant that you do. Hippies shouldn't be trusted to report the truth HA
Posted by: Angel | June 11, 2009 at 01:35 PM
Sorry for the multiple post, something odd happened when I submitted and after trying to recover the error I saw multiples.
Posted by: Mang | June 11, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Betelgeuse is a lot more complex than most people think.
Size varying periodically with time by 30% or more.
Surface bright spots the size of planetary orbits.
A claim of a companion star orbiting near or inside its envelope.
A star that has different diameters at different wave lengths, including a massive chromosphere that extends past the orbit of Neptune.
Little surprises me about this monster.
It's hard not to think of a slow, fat, bloated, belching monstrosity on the edge of exploding.
Posted by: Mang | June 11, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Betelgeuse is a lot more complex than most people think.
Size varying periodically with time by 30% or more.
Surface bright spots the size of planetary orbits.
A claim of a companion star orbiting near or inside its envelope.
A star that has different diameters at different wave lengths, including a massive chromosphere that extends past the orbit of Neptune.
Little surprises me about this monster.
It's hard not to think of a slow, fat, bloated, belching monstrosity on the edge of exploding.
Posted by: Mang | June 11, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Betelgeuse is a lot more complex than most people think.
Size varying periodically with time by 30% or more.
Surface bright spots the size of planetary orbits.
A claim of a companion star orbiting near or inside its envelope.
A star that has different diameters at different wave lengths, including a massive chromosphere that extends past the orbit of Neptune.
Little surprises me about this monster.
It's hard not to think of a slow, fat, bloated, belching monstrosity on the edge of exploding.
Posted by: Mang | June 11, 2009 at 10:41 AM
This wouldn't be the first time fox put their own spin on science would it?
Posted by: Chris | June 11, 2009 at 10:26 AM
The star is shaped like a potatoe? How can it be?
I thought any stars shape must be the balance of gravity, heat, and centrifugal force. Is assymetrical convection is causing one side of the star to be hotter/brighter/bigger on one side?
I know a stars brightness can vary across the surface, but the shape thing surprizes me.
Posted by: malindeman | June 11, 2009 at 09:44 AM
Using Fox and News in the same sentence, much less one after the other, is obviously a misnomer. They are good only for their sports reporting. Nice article.
Could the 15% decrease in size also simply be due to more precise instruments making more precise measurements on such a large object. I suspect there's an element of a few tangibles here.
I'll cognate on that as I relax on this beautiful Thai beach.
Posted by: Blake Butterfield | June 11, 2009 at 03:46 AM